Fiber containers



United States Patent 3,106,327 FIBER CONTAINERS Clarence 0. Kari,Danvers, Mass assignor, by mesne assignments, to United Shoe MachineryCorporation, Boston, Mass a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb..25,1958, Ser. No. 717,468

7 Claims. (Q1. 2 29-4.5)

This invention relates in general to container structures and is moreparticularly addressed to inexpensive fiber containers, incorporatinglapped seam COIlSlZIllCtlOIl,

'This outstanding problem is greatly aggravatedin lapped seam containeror can bodies fabricated from paper, cardboard, chip board, and similarnatural and synthetic available commercial fibrous materials,particularly adjacent the interior raw cut edge of the lapped seam ofthe container body, which edge acts to produce a wicking action for theliquid phases of the container contents.

It is also recognized that fibrous container bodies, as

a result of their inherent pervious or porous nature and interiorlyexposed raw cut marginal edge adjacent a lapped seam joint in theirconstruction, present a problem of deterioration and/or corrosive attackby many products. packaged therein, even in the dry state..

The present invention has as one of its objects the pro vision of afiber container capable of preventing moisture seepage and/ ordeterioration from within the same.

Another object of the invention isto provide a flexible fiber containerbody incorporating a liquid impervious lapped seam in its construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fiber container bodyhaving a continuous impervious and/or corrosion resistant layer orlamina on the exterior and interior surfaces of a fibrous blank fromwhich'the container body has been fabricated. 1

Numerous other objects and advantages will be appreciated and understoodfrom consideration of the following description, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of theinvention, in which: i

FIG. 1 is an edge view of a blank from which the container body ispreferably fabricated;

FIG. 2 shows the body blank of FIG. 1 undergoing transformation in theformation of a container body;

FIG. 3 represents a transformed double-ply arrangement and dispositionof the body blank of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates a fragmentary end view of a container bodyincorporating 'a lapped seam and fabricated from the double-ply blank ofFIG. 3-; and

FIG. 5 is a partial elevational view of a container body, with a sectionadjacentan end cover member secured thereto, broken away. i v

A typical container body fabricated in accordance with the invention isformed from a single blank 10 of fibrous material provided on at leastone major planar: surface with a layer or lamina 11 suitably attachedthereto. The blank 10 maybe selected from a broad range of cellulosefibrous paper base materials, such as pulp board, cardboard,'chip board,kraft paper and similar available commercial paper stock, as Well asfrom synthetic fibrous stocks manufactured from Dacron, nylon, and/ormixphane, polyethylene, and the like.

ice

. 2 tures thereof, and similar synthetic materials, any one or all ofwhich, because of their inherent porous or pervious nature, can giverise to a problem of moisture leakage and/ or deterioration from attackby wet or dry products packaged in direct contact therewith.

The lamina or layer 11, on the other hand, is selected from amoisture-impervious and/or corrosion resistant material, such asmetallic foils, or any one of the commercially available organic filmmaterials, such as cello- The layer 11 will obviously be selected as themost efficient and desirable material for direct contact with theproduct or products to be packed, as well as being impervious andresistant to attack by the products in contact therewith.

The layer 11 must also be applied in the form of a continuous, unbrokenlayer over the entire surface area of at least one major planar surfaceof the base stock or blank 1t), and be adhesively or otherwise attachedthereto. Any suitable commercially available adhesive exhibitingnon-brittle setting properties, is preferably employed for this purpose,although the lamina 11 maybe selected with inherent heat-sealingproperties permitting direct heat-sealed attachment to the blank 10.

Having selected the fibrous stock or blank 10, and liquid-imperviouslamina 11 compatible with the product to be packaged, the laminatedblank 1011 is folded double-ply on itself to provide the composite blankof FIG. 3., In this operation, the fibrous material 10- may be scored at12 to a depth less than its gauge thickness to aid the foldingor'doubling operation, and any suitable commercial adhesive or cement,that is non-brittle on setting, should be employed between thesuperimposed surfaces of the folded 'blank to insure the unitarydouble-ply blank of FIG. 3. V

In FIG. 4, a fragmentary end plan view of a lapped seam cylindricalcontainer body fabricated from the double-ply blank of FIG. 3, isillustrated. It will be observed that the fibrous material or blank 10,from which the cylindrical container body has been formed, is exposed onthree of its edges, termed cut or raw edges, whereas the folded orfourth edge of the blank is completely encased by the continuousunbroken impervious layer or lamina 11. It is also to be observed thatthe folded and lamina-encased edge is disposed on the interior of thecontainer body at the lapped seam incorporated in its construction.

Any number of commercially available cements or adhesives may beemployed to complete and secure the lapped seam of the container body, aheat-meltable or thermoplastic adhesive being preferred where the layer11 is selected in the form of an impervious metallic foil. On the otherhand, an impervious organic cellophane or polyethylene lamina 11 may bedirectly heat-sealed on the blank 10, as well as in the area of thelapped seam joint between such organic laminae. It is sufficient tostate that the adhesive employed in the lapped seam contacting surfacesshould be impervious and leak-proof in terms of the contents of thecontainer body.

Fiber or metal end closures of covers 14 are employed .to complete thecontainer of FIG. 5. In the event fiber covers are used, such elementswould preferably be made, asby forming dies, from material in the formof the double-ply blank of FIG. 3, which would insure presence of theprotective layer or lamina 11. disposed inwardly towards the contents ofthe container. Otherwise a metal cover or end closure 14 has been shownin FIG. 5 in clamping engagement with the peripheral wallof theotherwise open end of a cylindrical lapped seam container bodyconstructed in accordance with the invention, as above described. Themetal cover would normally be selected in the same metal employed forthe metallic foil lamina 11.

The end closure 14, may, if desired, be adhesively treated, particularlyon the interior surfaces defining the inverted channel-shaped marginalflange in direct surface engagement with the cut edge forming theperipheral end walls of the container body.

The exterior surface of the container body is usually printed orotherwise decorated as to the source and contents of the completedsealed container. In this connection, the exposed layer or lamina 11would normally be printed over approximately half the length of theblank shown in FIG. 1 in a flat condition, the subsequent doubling ofthe blank to provide the double-ply laminate of FIG. 3 insuring anexternally printed container body and finished container in accordancewith FIGS. 4 and 5.

A specific example of a container made in accordance with the inventionemployed a single sheet 10 of 90 pound kraft paper stock coextensivelyand adhesively bound to a layer of aluminum foil of .00035" gaugethickness over one entire major surface area of the blank 10. Theexposed foil layer or lamina 11 of the laminate thus produced wassurface-printed and decorated over substantially half its area in itsfiat condition, as viewed in FIG. 1, thereafter adhesively coated on itsmajor planar fibrous surface, folded double on itself to provide theunitary double-ply blank of FIG. 3, and then transformed, as byprogressively wrapping the same around a horn or mandrel, to form atubular container body, such as illustrated in FIG. 4, and the completedcontainer of FIG. 5.

It will be manifest that minor changes may be made in the containerstructures of the invention, without departing from the intended spiritand scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tubular container body formed from a single sheet ofliquid-pervious fibrous stock having a liquid-impervious metallic tfoillamina secured to one entire planar surface area of the stock, and thestock scored and bent double in half on itself along the scored portionto present the metallic foil on its oppositely disposed planar surfacesand continuously over the bent marginal edge thereof, an adhesive layersecuring the doubled stock, and an adhesively secured lapped seambetween oppositely disposed marginal edges of the doubled stock,including the bent edge thereof, said bent and foil-covered marginaledge of the stock being interiorly disposed within the tubular containerbody.

2. A tubular fiber container body constituted by a laminated blankcomprising a single sheet of liquid-pervious fibrous stock and unitarilyattached continuous metallic foil layer folded in half double andadhesively secured with the foil layer covering the entire areas of theoppositely disposed planar surfaces of the doubled blank and bentmarginal edge thereof, and an adhesively secured lapped seam betweenoppositely disposed marginal edges of the doubled blank, including thebent marginal edge thereof, said lapped seam having the bent foilencasedmarginal edge disposed interiorly the tubular container body.

3. A tubular fiber container body constituted by a single sheet of aliquid-pervious fibrous material folded along a score line in thesurface of the fibrous material and unitarily adhesively secured doubleon itself and provided on its exposed planar surfaces with an adhesivelyattached liquid-impervious lamina in continuous strip form overlying thebent marginal edge thereof, and a lapped seam between oppositelydisposed marginal edges of the tubular container body, said lapped seambeing secured by a heat-meltable adhesive and incorporating the bent,liquid-impervious lamina-supporting marginal edge on the interior wallof the tubular container body.

4, A-wet pack fiber container comprising a tubular body constituted by asingle sheet of a liquid-pervious fibrous material scored transverselyto a depth less than its gauge thickness and folded and adhesivelysecured double on itself along the score line and provided with aliquidimpervious lamina in the form of a single continuous strip ofaluminum foil adhesively secured to the exposed major planar surfaces ofthe doubled fibrous stock and contiguous marginal folded edge thereof, alapped seam between the oppositely disposed marginal edges of thealuminum faced doubled fibrous stock secured by a liquid imperviousadhesive, said lapped seam having the alug minum faced contiguousmarginal folded edge disposed interiorly the container body, and endcovers secured to the opposite ends of the container body, said endcovers incorporating a liquid-impervious adhesive between themselves andthe container body in contact therewith.

5. A method of fabricating a tubular fiber container bodydeterioration-proofed against contents enclosed thereby comprising firstforming an adhesively secured laminate of pervious fibrous stock and animpervious continuous protective layer in continuous sheet form over onemajor planar surface area of the fibrous stock, then folding andadhesively securing the laminate in half on itself to provide adouble-ply laminate with the impervious protective layer exteriorlydisposed, and thereafter over lapping oppositely disposed marginal edgesof the doubleply laminate and securing the same to provide a tubularcontainer body with the interior marginal edge of the underlyinglaminate encased in the impervious protective layer.

6. A method of fabricating a wet pack tubular container body comprisingadhesively securing a liquid-impervious sheet layer over the entireplanar surface area of a single sheet of liquid-pervious fibrous stockto form a laminated rectangular blank having four cut marginal edges,bending, folding and adhesively securing superimposed fibrous planarsurfaces of the laminated blank to provide a smaller unitary rectangularblank of half the size of the initial blank having three exposed cutmarginal edges and one contiguous bent marginal edge encased within theliquidimpervious sheet layer, overlapping oppositely disposed marginaledges of the smaller rectangular blank, including the contiguous bentand encased marginal edge disposed on the interior wall of tubularcontainer body, and securing the overlapped marginal edges by aheatsealable adhesive.

7. A method of fabricating a wet pack container comprising the steps,adhesively securing a liquid-impervious strip of aluminum foil over theentire planar surface area of a single sheet of liquid-pervious fibrousstock to form a rectangular laminated blank presenting four out marginaledges, scoring, bending, folding and adhesively securing superimposedfibrous surfaces of the laminated blank to provide a smaller rectangularblank of half the size of the initial blank having three exposed cutmarginal edges and one contiguous foil-encased marginal edge, forming atubular container body from the small rectangular blank by overlappingoppositely disposed marginal edges thereof, including the contiguousfoil-encased marginal edge disposed on the interior wall surface of thetubular container body, securing the overlapped marginal edges by meansof a moisture-proof adhesive, and applying metal end covers on thetubular body blank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,118,565 Meade May 24, 1938 2,190,479 Moore Feb. 13, 1940 2,275,157Morgan Mar. 3, 1942 2,278,502 Waters Apr. 7, 1942 2,440,339 Langer Apr.27, 1948

1. A TUBULAR CONTAINER BODY FORMED FROM A SINGLE SHEET OFLIQUID-PERVIOUS FIBROUS STOCK HAVING A LIQUID-IMPERVIOUS METALLIC FOILLAMINA SECURED TO ONE ENTIRE PLANAR SURFACE AREA OF THE STOCK, AND THESTOCK SCORED AND BENT DOUBLE IN HALF ON ITSELF ALONG THE SCORED PORTIONTO PRESENT